By Tony Adibe
The Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative in collaboration with the Enugu State Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB), has trained additional 35 Physical Education (P.E.) Teachers and PPSMB officers in Enugu State.
NewsBits reports that the CSED Initiative is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) which utilizes sports as an instrument to promote literacy and the social well-being of Nigerian children and youths, particularly, the girl-child and vulnerable youths. The 2-day capacity training, which was held the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, is part of the efforts to use the CSED’s ‘’Project 2027’’ to bring the game of netball to the attention of one million Nigerian school girls, before the end of the year 2027.
NewsBits learnt that the training in Enugu is the fourth in the series of basic netball training that is aimed at educating, motivating, and activating P.E. Teachers with the basic knowledge and equipment (netball balls, training bibs, finger-held whistles and netball rims) that will enable the new netball coaches to introduce the game of netball to their students and residents of their local community.
Recall that similar netball training activities have been held in Edo, Delta and Akwa Ibom States, since June 2022 when ‘Project 2027’ officially started. The project aims to promote SDG 5 (gender equality). Netball is currently the only sport that is specifically developed for girls and women.
The 35 P.E. Teachers and PPSMB officers drawn from various schools in Enugu and Nsukka participated in the training. 29 female and 6 male participants who were in attendance had a refreshingly different experience in learning the rules and techniques of netball.
The new netball coaches were drilled by CSED National Coordinator, Edema Fuludu and Onome Fuludu, who are certified Netball Africa coaches.
The Director of PPSMB in Enugu State, Mrs Justina Ifeoma Onuchukwu, who was part of the event organizing committee, lauded the Trustee of CSED Initiative for deciding to extend to Enugu State their netball training under the auspices of Project 2027.
Mrs. Onuchukwu said: “The PPSMB Chairman loves sports development alongside education and that is also my goal. We hope that CSED Initiative will bring another of your teachers’ capacity building training to Enugu State, again”.
The PPSMB Director advised other sports for change NGOs to emulate CSED Initiative in supporting the Enugu State Government in building the capacity of Teachers, as the ultimate beneficiaries are going to be the students.
Also, the participants appreciated the Trustees of CSED Initiative for the new knowledge which they acquired, the free basic netball equipment that have been provided to their schools and hope to put them into good use in their various schools.
NewsBits reports that Certificates of attendance were issued to all the participants and netball equipment which included two free netball rims with nets, two netball balls, two sets of netball training bibs, and one packet of finger-held whistles were donated by CSED Initiative to each participant for their schools.
